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No Fear
March 20, 2020
You know over the last few weeks things have been getting strange. With COVID-19, coronavirus, it’s just causing lots of disruption to our lives. And I jut get a sense that many of us Christians are a bit frightened about what’s going on.
It doesn’t help that many Americans don’t trust the media, or the government for that matter. And so there seems to be this vacuum in our lives of certainty that we as a people once had.
Paul from the Bible once found himself in a circumstance filled with uncertainty. Probably more than once actually, but I’m only going to share one.
Paul was living in uncertainty. He didn’t know what was going to happen next. I’m sure by now, you all can relate to this.
But just like Paul, if you know Jesus, we have the very Creator living in us and through us. and if you will rest in that, it truly will not matter what happens next.
At this time in his life, Paul is in Jail for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In essence, he is awaiting what will happen next – with great uncertainty. Could he be freed, or beaten again? Would he stay incarcerated, or even executed? Of all of that he wasn’t sure of what would happen next, he was sure about one thing. This is what he wrote to the church in Philippi under these circumstances.
Philippians 1:20-21 (NIV) I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
In reality Paul has no concern if he is going to take another breath or not. The only thing he is concerned with, is pointing people to Jesus while he still has breath in his lungs.
Paul has this peace that only Christ can give us.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to live in us and through us, we will find this peace that goes beyond all understanding.
Recently a friend of mine , Jenny Field, wrote some interesting things bout prayer and the battle of Jericho.
We read the account in Joshua 6 - This is my paraphrase – you should read it for yourself, you’ve got some time now.
The Israelites were promised a section of land by God Himself – He led them out of Egypt. They struggled because they didn’t obey very well. But finally, they got there, only to discover some people were already living there.
In fact, there was a city with giant walls and the people inside the city, well, they weren’t very kind or nice people. The city was guarded and fortified to say the least. And here are these nomadic people that God had rescued from slavery in another far off country. It wasn’t like they had Sherman tanks or any weapons of significance to handle this task.
So, what happens, well Joshua prays and asks God what to do. And God’s answer…was a bit unconventional to say the least. That actually is an understatement.
God told Joshua to march around the city for 7 days. No threatening talks, no calling the people out, no trying to break through the wall, just walk around the city once a day in silence for the first 6 days.
On that 7th day…God asks for something different. If I had been there I might have asked God for some picture ID because His ask for the 7th day is not any better than the first 6. In fact it seems to be even nuttier.
On the seventh day God asks them to march around the walls of the city in silence 7 times. At the end of the 7th round, shout and blow your horns – trumpets weren’t invented yet.
But you get this right? Ask any military person about strategy. This is not your typical military strategy to overtake anything not to mention a fortified, hostile city
Now – the Israelites do not have a good track record of being obedient to God. If you read their story through the wilderness, there’s many reasons they did not get to go into the promised land when they could have. And even Moses is excluded from entering in because of his part in all of it. But this time they did it – they obeyed God.
They marched every day in silence, and on the 7th day they marched 7 times and then they yelled and tooted horns. And you know what happened, the walls were leveled to the ground
Right now – you might be facing a Jericho in your heart. Whether fear of the COVID-19 virus or something else in your life that consumes you to the point that you are unable to grow in your relationship with God and others.
The people of God were victorious that day because they cooperated with God the way He asked them to.
So what is God asking of us today? We will never know if we don’t follow Joshua’s example and spend time seeking Him in prayer.
I know – that is such a Sunday School answer - but it’s truth. I don’t understand why God chooses to work through the prayers of His people. It seems as if He is asking us to join Him where He is at in the middle of all this interrupted life. Not a bad idea.
Do I think God caused all of this, NOT ON YOUR LIFE OR MINE! I believe all of this interrupted life is because we live in a broken world. When sin entered into this world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience, it changed everything. Creation became something it was not intended to become, a broken world with sickness and death. And, there’s really nothing we can do about Adam and Eve’s choice to disobey. We’re stuck with it. In other words, sin entering into this world may not be our fault, but it is our responsibility to deal with sin in this world.
So, what do we do? If you know Jesus as your savior today, then you need to be on your knees asking God where He is working, and how can you help – YES HELP! God is always working and invites us to be a part of His plan here and now.
Maybe you know a lot about Jesus, but you really don’t know Him. In the book of John, Jesus prays not just for His disciples Matt, Mark, Luke, john, etc…He prays for all of the disciples that will be His throughout to the end of time. And His prayer is that we would be united, as He and the Father were united. Jesus prays that we would be so deeply united in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that it would spill over and cause us to be deeply united with each other.
Do you know Jesus? I invite you to begin to know Him today. The COVID-19 virus may never stop or completely go away. But if we know Jesus to the depth of salvation, we won’t be afraid.
Living in fear stinks – and right now, there’s lots of fear going around. Where’s my next paycheck? Oh look we’re turning into a socialist society. Oh no something else is wrong…it doesn’t seem to stop, except when I focus on Jesus.
And I know to the bottom of my heart, that He truly is my savior, so I don’t have to live in fear. Jesus is my deliverer, my redeemer, my source in time of trouble simply because I’m His child.
You can have that same blessed assurance, make Jesus Lord of your life today simply by admitting you need Him. You need not be a slave to fear any longer.